Extending device for setting in motion a lift-booth in case of an electric breakdown

ABSTRACT

The device for setting in motion a lift-booth in case of an electrical breakdown comprises extending connecting means interposed between the booth and the suspension cable thereof, the weight of said booth being used as a source of energy for working said means so as to cause their extension in an adjustable measure.

United States Patent [72] Inventors Jacques Leon Alexandre See [51] Int. Cl B66b 9/00 47 rue Guersant, Paris l7eme; [50] Field of Search 187/1, 18, Alain Albert Louis Houille, 5 allee La 17, 42, 68, 69, 71; 254/122 Bruvere, Clichy-sous-bois, Seine Saint- Denis, France 5 6] References Cited [21] Appl. No. 780,608 UNITED STATES PATENTS [22] Filed Dec. 2,1968 827,109 7/1906 Myer 187/69 grsgg y t 1 3 3 Primary Examiner-Harvey C. Hornsby [33] i AttorneyWatson, Cole, Grindle and Watson [31] 130593 [54] EXTENDING DEVICE FOR SETTING IN MOTION A ABSTRACT The device for Semn g m motion a lift-booth 1n giggw CASE OF AN ELECTRIC case of an electrical breakdown comprises extending connect- 10 Cl 5 D ing means interposed between the booth and the suspension aims rawmg cable thereof, the weight of said booth being used as a source [52] US. Cl 187/1, of energy for working said means so as to cause their extension 187/18, 187/69, 187/71 in an adjustable measure.

0 ii M 16 {g Q ::':=r-: 7 f 2 f f as .a/ 52 EXTENDDIG DEVICE FOR SETTING IN MOTION A LIFT- BGOTll-l IN CASE OF AN ELECTRIC BREAOWN The present invention relates to a device allowing to\set in motion a lift-booth in case of a breakdown in the electric feeding of a lift. Actually, it occurs frequently, that in case of such an unexpected breakdown the lift is remaining between two stories.

The device of the invention is essentially characterized in that the booth is dissociated from the suspension cable or in other words that extending link means are interposed between said booth and said cable so to allow in a given extend, corresponding for example to the height separating two or even three successive stories, to make moving downwards said booth in such an extend and that is made by using the weight of the booth as a motor agent.

By making use of the invention, it becomes possible for the passengers in the booth to reach the landing door of a lower story and that is made by an easy working within the reach of anyone.

The device of the invention may be placed either on new booths which have'not yet been mounted or on booths already in place. It may actually be easily adapted on any booth and that for a moderate cost. Moreover, the device of the invention is of a great security of working and a total safety.

Another advantage of the device according to the invention lies in the fact it does not need any other source of energy so that it is entirely independent. Moreover, when it has been used, it may be bring back in its first waiting position without be necessary to have any material or any tools. Moreover, resetting the device of the invention is ensured by means proper to the lift equipment when the current is reestablished.

According to the invention, a device for setting in motion a lift-booth in case of an electrical breakdown where it is interposed between said booth and the suspension cable thereof, extending connecting means, and where the weight of said booth is used as a source of energy for working said means so as to cause their extension in an adjustable measure.

in order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, device in accordance therewith will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of the extending device for supporting a lift according to the invention.

FlG. 2 is a plan view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating a characteristic position of the device of FIG. 1.

H6. 3 is a cross section, roughly viewed according to line Ill-ill of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross section similar to FIG. 3 showing a variant.

P16. 5 is a partial diagrammatic plan view showing a further expansion of the invention.

in the drawing, reference numeral 1 designates a lift-booth diagrammatically represented. This booth is connected at its upper part to one pin or pins 2 for articulation of the foot of small connecting rods 3, 4 whose heads are articulated by pins 5, 6 to connecting rods 7, 8, which are articulated each other at their median part on a pin 9, said connecting rods 7, 8 being, moreover, articulated, in case of need, to other similar connecting rods in order to constitute an accordion pleated mounting comprising, at its end part, connecting rods 10, 11 connected to their ends by a pin 12 to which is fixed the cable 13 supporting the booth 1.

At least the pins 5, 6 connecting the small connecting rods 3, 3 to the connecting rods 7, 8 are connected each other by a hydraulic jack 14, the pin 5 supporting for example, the body of the jack 14 while the pin 6 supports the rod 15 of said jack.

When the lift is in its normal working stages, the abovedescribed accordion is compressed, as shown FIG. 1, and consequently, the jack 14 is in the more extended position, the whole body of the jack being full of oil. In case of an electric breakdown, and when the lift-booth remains between two stories, the passengers have only to work the jack 14 to cause a gradual draining and, consequently, this makes possible to the different levers of the above-described accordion to extend as shown in FIG. 2. It follows that the booth 1 goes down gradually up to the moment when it coincides with a landing door.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show that the above-described levers may be realized in various ways. Actually, according to FIG. 3, it is shown that two sets A, B of identical levers are provided and that the jack 14 is placed between said two sets of levers A, B.

It is also possible as shown in FIG. 4, to use only one set of levers but in this case, it is advantageous to dispose two jacks 14,, 14 symmetrically placed on both ends of the set of levers.

Although the realization hereinbefore described may arise to a structure particularly strong, it may be advantageous to provide supplementarily a safety device and said device is then constituted, as shown in FIG. 5, by a locking lever 16 articulated on the pin 2 and provided, in its upper part, with a cut 17 for fitting the upper pin 12 connecting the small connecting rods 10, ll. Preferentially, the height of the cut 17 is bigger than the diameter of the pin 12 so that said pin does not normally bear on the lining 17a of said out. Actually, it is generally preferred that the jack 14 be maintained under pressure, thus allowing to be aware of its good state of working when the device is not used. The pivotally mounted locking lever 16 is maintained in its position called safety position represented in full line, by a jack 18 articulated by the body in 19, for example, on the top of the booth I, and in 20 by the rod 21 on a lever 16. The rod 21 presents a rather big diameter and is connected to a piston 22 which may slide in the jack 18 in which it limits two chambers 23 and 24 The chamber 23 is constantly connected to the inside of the jack 14 by a duct 25 and this chamber is also connected, by a duct 26 to one of the inputs of a distributor 27 whose slide-valve 28 presents at least two ducts 29 and 30.

Chamber 24 of jack 18 is connected by a duct 31 to a second input of the distributor 27, the output of which communicates by a duct 32 with a tank 33 filled with a liquid preferably maintained under pressure by means of a pneumatic chamber 34. A duct 35 is also provided connected to duct 31 and communicating with the inside of jack 18 by an aperture which is normally closed by the piston 22 when the lever 16 is in the locking position.

When the device is not in use, the duct 29 of slide-valve 28 is brought in coincidence with duct 31. Thus, the tank 33 is isolated, and chambers 23 and 24 of the jack 18 are communicating. As the rod 21 of jack 18 presents a rather big cross section, the pressure in chambers 23 and 24 which is the same is exerted on different areas of piston 22 and, consequently, the jack 18 maintains always the pivotally mounted lever 16 in the locking position, since the pressure in chamber 24 is exerted on an appreciably bigger area of piston 22 then the pressure in chamber 23 on the other side of said piston.

It is to be noted that this difference of pressure is maintained even if a leakage will occur accidentally in the hydraulic assembly as it is only by means of a differential pressure that the lever 16 is maintained in its locking position. Obviously in case a leakage will occur, the above-described accordion will tend to extend and the pin 12 will immediately come in contact with the upper lining 17a of the cut 17, whereby a mechanical locking will be established and easily detected by appropriate checking means, for example electrical, so as to remedy immediately to the defect having produced said mechanical locking.

If the extending device is worked in order to make the booth to go down, the distribution 27 is acted in order to bring the duct 30 of its slide valve in coincidence with duct 31 and with duct 32 leading to the tank 33 for the liquid. At that moment, the pressure falls in chamber 24 and consequently, becomes lower than the pressure in chamber 23 as said chamber is connected to the inside of the jack 14 under pressure. it follows that the piston 22 slides according to the arrow f and disengage the lever 16 to bring it in a position 16a for which the pin 12 is free. it is to be noted that this movement of the jack 18 does necessitates only a very small amount of liquid because of the very small volume of the chamber 23. Consequently, the jack 14 does not still allow to the accordion pleated device to extend appreciably, the disengagement of lever 16 intervening in any case before the pin 12 will come in contact with the lining 17a of cut 17. The above-described displacement of piston 22 of the jack 18 has for effect to uncover the aperture making chamber 23 communicating with duct 35 connected to duct 31 and, consequently, by the distributor 27 to the tank 33. Thus, the liquid may flow from jack 24 to chamber 23 and from said chamber by the duct 35 and duct 31 up to the tank. The extending accordion pleated device may therefore extend and meanwhile the liquid is stored in the tank 33 under a pressure progressively increasing.

When the current is reestablished in the circuit of the lift, said lift is caused to go down to its lower level so as the bottom of the booth will rest on the stop always provided in the shaft of a lift.

The above-described accordion pleated device having a considerable weight tends then spontaneously to fold. Besides, the pressure being relatively high in the tank 33, it follows that the liquid is forced back by duct 32, pipe 30 of slide-valve 28, duct 31 and duct 35 in the chamber 23 of jack 18, then from said chamber up to jack 14. It is to be noted that the piston 22 does not tend yet to be withdrawn because the pressure is considerably lower in chamber 23 than in chamber 24 as the accordion pleated device tends to make the rod of the jack 14 to slide according to arrow f and thus tends to create a lowering of pressure in the chamber of the jack 14 and therefore in the chamber 23.

When the accordion-pleated device is fully folded, then the pressures come into equilibrium in chambers 23 and 24 of the jack 18 and, hence, the piston 22 is pushed back in a direction opposed to arrow f which has for effect to decant again a small quantity of liquid up to the jack 14 and thus to ensure tightening of the accordion-pleated device in the same time as lever 16 is brought back in its locking position. Finally, the worker must only withdraw the slide-valve to its first position, resetting communication between chambers 23 and 24 of jack 18.

The invention is not limited to. the embodiments, represented and described in detail as various modifications may be applied to it without going outside the scope of the invention. Particularly,jack 14 orjacks 14 and 14 may operate the extending device on other place than hereinbefore described and, samely, devices drawing attention on the good state of working may be annexed to the device. Again, the tank 33 for the liquid may be made by a jack disposed beneath the booth in order than said jack be extended downwards when the extending device is used. In that case the mobile part of said jack comes in contact with the bottom of the shaft of the lift when current is reestablished and that it is proceeded with resetting the device at its first state. The weight of the booth being then exerted on the jack causes decanting of the liquid to the jack 18 then to the jack 14 as hereinbefore described.

We claim:

1. A device for controllably lowering a cable-suspended liftbooth to a desired level in case of a breakdown of the means normally employed for raising and lowering said booth comprising: a set of articulated levers forming a longitudinally extensible lazy tongs structure having articulation pins interconnecting said links at laterally opposed locations, said lazy tongs structure being interposed and extending longitudinally between said booth and the cable from which said booth is normally suspended, a normally extended fluid pressure jack connecting said laterally opposed locations, whereby normally to maintain said lazy tongs structure in a longitudinally contracted position, a distributor for said jack located in said booth whereby the person in said booth may controllably release fluid from said jack to extend said lazy tongs and lower said booth to a desired level.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said jack is fixed by its body to one of the articulation pins of the levers, and by its rod to one of the other articulation pins.

3. A device according to claim 1 wherein two acks are provided to be placed on both sides of the set of articulated levers.

4. A device according to claim 1 wherein two sets of articulated levers are parallely provided and the jack is placed between the two sets.

5. A device according to claim 1 wherein a safety device is associated to the articulated device.

6. A device according to claim 5 wherein said safety device works hydraulically and comprises a pivotally mounted lever presenting a protrusion in order to cover a pin to which the suspension cable is fixed, said lever being controlled by a jack mounted in series with the jack limiting the speed of displacement of the accordion pleated articulated levers.

7. A device according to claim 6 wherein the jack controlling the lever is double-acting and comprises a piston, the sides of which present different active areas, the two chambers of said jack being hydraulically connected when the extending device is not in use, so that the pressure prevailing in the jack associated to the extending device is applied permanently in the two chambers of the jack controlling the lever in order to maintain an effective safety.

8. A device according to claim 6 wherein draining of the jack associated with the extending device is produced by means of the safety jack whose piston discloses an aperture when the safety lever is displaced of a sufficient extend.

9. A device according to claim 6 wherein draining of the jack associated with the extending device as well as draining of the safety jack are made in a tank forming hydraulic accumulator and comprising a charge of gas under pressure.

10. A device according to claim 9 wherein the tank is made under the shape of a jack disposed beneath the lift-booth. 

1. A device for controllably lowering a cable-suspended liftbooth to a desired level in case of a breakdown of the means normally employed for raising and lowering said booth comprising: a set of articulated levers forming a longitudinally extensible lazy tongs structure having articulation pins interconnecting said links at laterally opposed locations, said lazy tongs structure being interposed and extending longitudinally between said booth and the cable from which said booth is normally suspended, a normally extended fluid pressure jack connecting said laterally opposed locations, whereby normally to maintain said lazy tongs structure in a longitudinally contracted position, a distributor for said jack located in said booth whereby the person in said booth may controllably release fluid from said jack to extend said lazy tongs and lower said booth to a desired level.
 2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said jack is fixed by its body to one of the articulation pins of the levers, and by its rod to one of the other articulation pins.
 3. A device according to claim 1 wherein two jacks are provided to be placed on both sides of the set of articulated levers.
 4. A device according to claim 1 wherein two sets of articulated levers are parallely provided and the jack is placed between the two sets.
 5. A device according to claim 1 wherein a safety device is associated to the articulated device.
 6. A device according to claim 5 wherein said safety device works hydraulically and comprises a pivotally mounted lever presenting a protrusion in order to cover a pin to which the suspension cable is fixed, said lever being controlled by a jack mounted in series with the jack limiting the speed of displacement of the accordion pleated articulated levers.
 7. A device according to claim 6 wherein the jack controlling the lever is double-acting and comprises a piston, the sides of which present different active areas, the two chambers of said jack being hydraulically connected when the extending device is not in use, so that the pressure prevailing in the jack associated to the extending device is applied permanently in the two chambers of the jack controlling the lever in order to maintain an effective safety.
 8. A device according to claim 6 wherein draining of the jack associated with the extending device is produced by means of the safety jack whose piston discloses an aperture when the safety lever is displaced of a sufficient extend.
 9. A device according to claim 6 wherein draining of the jack associated with the extending device as well as draining of the safety jack are made in a tank forming hydraulic accumulator and comprising a charge of gas under pressure.
 10. A device according to claim 9 wherein the tank is made under the shape of a jack disposed beneath the lift-booth. 